West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday lashed out at the Election Commission for the transfer of SPs, DMs and other senior police and administrative officials, and for the large-scale deployment of Central paramilitary forces in the state before the Assembly election.
Ms Banerjee voiced her extreme displeasure over what she described as Delhi’s continuous interference in matters of the state. “Delhi pokes its nose in every affair of the state. Delhi is behaving as if emergency has been declared in the state. If Bengal’s administration can’t be trusted for organising elections in the state, then we will also demand that the Delhi police must not be used for holding elections in Delhi,” she thundered, taunting the EC to bring forces from the USA to hold polls in Bengal.
Ms Banerjee was addressing an election rally at Jalpaiguri’s Rajganj.
She blamed the Opposition for filling the ears of the Election Commission and coaxing it to take unprecedented, stringent measures. Directly addressing the CPI(M) and BJP, she said if they did not have faith in the state police, why don’t they seek help from Washington
“You should approach (United States’) President Obama. He will supply the police force which you can deploy in every village. And then you should see whether people vote for you,” she said sarcastically.
Extremely unhappy with their performance in discharging election responsibilities, the Election Commission sent a directive to the state government on Thursday ordering the transfer of SPs of Burdwan, Nadia, Malda and South Dinajpur and the district magistrate of Hooghly. Besides these IAS and IPS officers, the EC also ordered the removal of nearly three dozen officers, including personnel of two dozen police stations.
These blacklisted officers have been barred for life from participating in any poll process under the EC. Sources said these officers were punished by the EC because of their alleged partisan role in helping the ruling Trinamul Congress in the poll process.
The chief minister was up in arms against the EC for the marching orders given to these state officers.
“The Bengal police will not work in the election in the state because they do not trust us. Then pray, will the police come from America ” Ms Banerjee asked.
Reacting to her outbursts, CPI(M) politburo member and MP Mohammad Salim said Ms Banerjee was clearly scared. “The EC has removed officers who were working as TMC’s stooges. If TMC is as popular and powerful as Ms Banerjee is claiming, why is she so angry over the transfer of some officers and deployment of Central forces ” he asked.
An extremely upset Ms Banerjee then sarcastically asked whether the Election Commission would contest the coming Assembly election on behalf of the Opposition parties. “CPI(M), do you believe the EC will also get you votes of the people ” she asked.
She then went on to demand that the Election Commission, which was using Central forces in the election in Bengal, must use the Bengal police when Delhi went to polls. Ms Banerjee had openly voiced her resentment when the EC had announced its decision to stagger the polls in six phases and on seven days. However, she had not attacked the EC but had instead targeted Opposition parties.
On Friday, she directly targeted the EC for Central forces and large-scale transfers of state officials.
